Sein tapped her foot against the wooden frame carved with delicate floral motifs as she reclined on the daybed. She simply could not relax, not after last night.
It felt unreal to be finally married to Zeya. The thought that they had been spiritually wedded for all these years made her chuckle to herself. He had been bound to her all this time.
Still, she was aware there would be a formal ceremony in the coming new moon to announce their union to the world. And she would be given the title of a princess.
Princess Sein? It did not sound right.
She wished they could choose a quiet life somewhere, like Sagyo, and simply be together. But instead, she would be dutiful and play the part of a princess and eventually queen.
The idea made her spring to her feet. Slipping on her shoes, she began to pace the room.
It did not seem right at all. Something felt off.
Sein gazed out into the garden, its picturesque view perfectly framed by the window. Watching the sparrows hop and skip across the lawn, she marvelled at their effortless agility.
It was the end of the wet season, and everything seemed pristine. The borders blazed with a riot of colour, and the trees brimmed with fresh growth.
Her future with Zeya was sealed. She should have felt content, but a weight still clung to her. Returning to the daybed, she sat down again, determined to focus her mind elsewhere.
Before any announcements of their union were made, she would have to face her mother and brothers.
Saw Win had mentioned over breakfast that they were now living in Dao Ling District. Naing was married, and both he and Phyu had become fathers.
Sein could easily imagine her mother's delight at being a grandmother. But then her breath caught as another thought followed; her mother's reaction to discovering that she was not only alive, but married to the Crown Prince.
She's going to be beside herself, Sein thought, already bracing for the shrieks of delight that would surely explode.
She and Zeya, however, had agreed to keep her spirit status concealed for now. There was little sense in sharing such a truth unless it became absolutely necessary.
Zeya had hinted that they might one day have to tell his parents, particularly if questions arose about producing the next generation of Arkar.
Sein remembered Kumbi speaking of his children, but his wife had been mortal. She had no way of knowing whether she herself could bear Zeya a child. The thought that he might never become a father brought a sudden ache to her chest.
The more she dwelled on it, the more unsettled she became. She caught herself biting at her nail before forcing a slow, steady breath.
Closing her eyes, she opened her senses, turning her focus to the prayers that poured in for her.
Not long afterwards, Sein sensed someone enter the apartment. She rose from her reclining position, wondering if Zeya had already returned from his meeting with his parents. However, the approaching footfalls had a stride that did not match his.
She had just finished granting her devotees their wishes, and was about to write a message to Maiah and the girls to assure them she was safely in the capital.
Slipping on her shoes, she stood to receive the visitor, brushing the creases from her skirt, not knowing whom to expect.
"My favourite nephew has returned. I am delighted," a commanding voice rang out.
A moment later, Lord Ray appeared, and seeing Sein, stopped short in his tracks. His handsome face reined in the startled look, before quickly returning to full composure.
"Lady Sein, forgive me," he began with a warm smile. "I was not expecting to have the pleasure of your company."
"Lord Ray," Sein greeted and bowed her head.
A sudden surge of nausea rolled up from her stomach. That sensation was unmistakable to her. Her eyes grew wide as she realised the truth.
Lord Ray was a spirit.
She swallowed hard, trying to fight the queasiness as another cold wave rolled through her. The intensity was so great that her face paled and her heart raced.
He was not just any spirit. There was something dark in him, a force steeped in malice and spite. The sheer weight of that malevolence was ancient and overwhelming.
Silence stretched between them.
Lord Ray remained still, observing her closely. Sein met his eyes, unable to hide her astonishment.
A flicker of curiosity crossed his face, followed by sudden understanding that tightened his jaw. He had realised what she was.
Seeing the recognition reflected in her eyes as though everything had become clear between them, his entire demeanour shifted.
"You have returned against seemingly insurmountable odds."
His voice was chilling as he advanced towards her, each step unhurried. He was immaculately groomed as per usual, his eyes continuing to scrutinise her.
"I say that with the utmost admiration," he added.
Sein instinctively stepped backwards, sensing his hostility, but was blocked by the daybed. Her mind scrambled to make sense, trying to tie together the loose threads.
Saw Win, hearing voices, peered into the room from the kitchen. He walked briskly towards them and bowed.
"Good morning, Lord Ray."
Both turned to the man.
"Saw Win, be a good man and prepare us some tea," Lord Ray directed. "And do fetch something irresistible for us to snack on."
Saw Win bowed and went off at once.
Sein opened her mouth, wishing to call out to him, but it was too late. He had disappeared into the kitchen before she could form the words.
Her attention snapped back to Lord Ray.
"You are remarkably difficult to dispose of, like a stubborn stain, impossible to erase," Lord Ray resumed, his face unreadable. "How is it possible you still linger beyond death? I strongly suspect someone has been meddling in my affairs."
Sein did not know what to make of his remarks.
Was he implying he had been behind the insect attack that killed her? And was the 'meddling person' a reference to the one who had granted her spirit-hood?
She tried to take a deep breath, but it was impossible to fill her lungs. An invisible band was tightening around her chest, and realising this, she forced herself to speak before fear took hold.
"I have been called stubborn before," she said in a casual tone. "And persistent. And determined once I get started."
Thura had once told her that when facing an enemy, she should first assess the threat before reacting. Though she could sense the animosity behind Lord Ray's words, his motivations remained unclear.
"Why would you go to so much trouble to… to get rid of me?" she asked, her voice faltering.
Lord Ray did not answer immediately. Instead, he clasped his hands behind his back and turned to the window. And for a moment he seemed lost in thought.
"Quite intriguing indeed," he mused aloud. "To think that someone so seemingly insignificant could be the cause of such extraordinary upheaval. How you've managed to unravel what was so meticulously planned… I must confess, I am utterly astonished."
What on earth does he mean by it?
"Any threat to the future king ought to have been silenced. You should never have passed the ancient woods that guard the capital… and yet, here you are," he went on, shaking his head. "It seems you managed to slip past my defences. No… ah, I see now. You were granted immunity by him."
Sein simply stared at him, turning his words over and over in her head.
"It would have been perfection itself, to see the three kingdoms united once more, with both north and south resting firmly under my control," Lord Ray mused, eyes turning to the silk painting on the wall. "Those were the days… days that ought to have been mine, but cut short by some illegitimate upstart masquerading as the rightful heir. A most regrettable interruption… though I took care to ensure he did not reign for a single day."
He allowed himself a small, knowing smile at the recollection, before his gaze returned to Sein.
"And yet, the turn of events has proved favourable nonetheless. There is always more than one path to reach one's destination."
Something clicked into place in Sein's mind, like the tumblers of a lock aligning perfectly. She shook her head, discarding it, not wishing to accept it.
"It seems not even I can foresee every possibility," Lord Ray continued. "I admit, you have kept me on my toes… and made things considerably more interesting."
"What was your plan… Han Min?" Sein asked cautiously, her hands clenching tightly by her side.
Han Min's attention settled fully on her at the sound of his name. A smug smile touched his lips and, without warning, he began to applaud, slow and deliberate.
The harsh sound echoed through the room, striking against the polished floor and the teak pillars.
"You are undoubtedly a thinking girl. That, I grant you," Han Min said, bringing his hands together in a steeple. "Surely, you can decipher my masterplan?"
Sein was still grappling with the knowledge that Lord Ray was Han Min, Spirit of Prosperity. She took a steadying breath.
"You wanted… you wanted Zeya to marry Princess Nanda to secure an alliance with the south," Sein said carefully, buying herself time to think. "And since our Queen is from the north, that alliance already exists there."
She had never fully understood how Han Min had managed to build the Gin Empire through manipulation.
"But even with alliances in the north and south," she said, curiosity briefly outweighing her fear, "how would that create an empire when there are still three separate rulers?"
"Simple, once you thoroughly understand mortals," Han Min responded vaguely, unwilling to elaborate.
He checked his sleeve cuffs, brushing off unseen dust.
"All is proceeding exactly as it should," he said, displaying a dazzling smile. "While Zeya has been searching for you, my followers have been most industrious. Given a little more time, the shortages of rice and oil would-"
"It was you!" Sein exclaimed, unable to hold back, "You are the one coordinating the men causing disruptions to trade!"
Now she realised it was not a devoted follower who was the mastermind behind the trouble, but the very supreme spirit himself.
How foolish had she been to think someone could influence Spirit of Prosperity. Had her bias towards him clouded her judgement?
And how would she tell Zeya the truth about his beloved uncle?
"I see you have met my devotees," Han Min said with a look of amusement.
"How would disrupting trade help unite the three kingdoms?" Sein asked, wishing to tie the loose ends in her mind.
"You are indeed persistent," Han Min said, crossing his arms. "Allow me to pose a question. What do people do when faced with losing their livelihoods? To whom do they pray?"
Wait… was he saying all of this had been for the sake of gaining more devotees?
Sein found herself struggling to let the motive take root; her assumptions felt too shallow. Surely no one would sink so low as to create chaos and suffering simply to gather a larger following.
"But you're a supreme spirit," she pointed out the obvious. "Why would you seek for more devotees?"
This seemed to irritate Han Min as his nostrils flared and his lips pressed into a thin line. But with a quick breath, his face became composed once more.
"Now, allow me to offer you an extraordinarily generous piece of advice." Han Min spoke gently but she sensed the arctic nature of his words. "Leave immediately. Leave Zeya for good. Do not return."
Sein's mouth opened then closed again. Then her jaw tightened as she met his eyes.
"I will never leave Zeya," she said finally, trying to keep her voice steady.
"Such admirable loyalty… or is it an obsession?"
Han Min smirked, taking a few steps closer.
"Come now, what is it you truly want from Zeya?… Status?… Fortune? Name your price. Whatever riches you desire, I shall grant them."
Seeing Sein meet him with a hard, unflinching look, he continued, "Tell me, do you merely wish to play at being a princess? Or is your appetite far greater than that? Power, glory… do they call to you? Do you, perhaps, dream not of standing beside a throne, but of ruling from it, as Queen?"
"…"
Sein was speechless.
What could she say to his insinuations?
"Whatever you desire, truly, I shall grant them," Han Min said softly. "On one condition, naturally. You shall never cross paths with Zeya again."
Sein's brows lifted slightly, disbelief settling in her eyes.
"I will never leave Zeya," she stated.
Her words enraged Han Min, and his composed facade faltered. Clenching his jaw, he held out a hand to strike air. The effect was instantaneous.
A violent force knocked Sein with such power that it threw her off her feet, sending her crashing to the floor near the silk screen that partitioned the room.
She was momentarily stunned, having never been hit before. The initial numbness gave way to a throbbing ache in her head, each heartbeat sending a stab of pain through her skull. She felt a warm wetness on her lips, then tasted the metallic tang of blood as it dripped from her nose.
She immediately peeled herself off the ground, her eyes blazing with indignation. Using the fabric on her sleeve, she healed her injury in an instant.
Han Min stood before her once more and made another sharp motion through the air.
Sein reacted swiftly, instinctively fortifying her sleeves as she raised her arm to shield herself. The unseen force struck against her defence, the energy dissipating down her arm.
Laughter, crass and chilling, rang out.
Thura had drilled into her that if the enemy seemed stronger, she should run. But she could not. Her feet felt rooted to the floor. She was frozen with dread.
Han Min marched forward and seized her arm.
"Since you cannot die in the mortal realm, we shall have to take a little adventure together," he declared. "Come along. You are leaving whether you like it or not."
With that, daggers of light appeared out of nowhere. Their intensity gathered into a vertical beam of energy, dissolving what lay before them and tearing open a narrow slit into darkness.
Sein struggled in Han Min's grip, but she could not break free. As the gap widened, Han Min hauled her behind him and stepped through.
Just at that instant, Saw Win entered the room carrying a tray of tea and pandan delicacies.
He froze at the sight of Sein being dragged towards a blinding light by Lord Ray. Then he sprang into action, the tray slipping from his hands, its contents clattering across the floor.
But he was not fast enough.
"Saw Win!"
He heard Sein cry out. The light flickered, then fizzled out and vanished, leaving no trace of them.
"What the spirits!"
Saw Win braced his head with both hands. His eyes darted left to right, up and down.
Nothing remained.
"What the hell just happened!" he muttered to no one in particular.
Ignoring the mess on the floor, he sprinted out of the apartment to look for the Crown Prince.
* * *
"Let go of me at once, Han Min," Sein demanded.
She clawed at the arm that gripped hers, but Han Min's flesh was unbreakable. She could not hurt him.
As they had stepped into the Spirit Realm, Han Min saw no reason to restrain her anymore. He released her arm in a way that suggested he had been holding something filthy.
"Where are we?" Sein asked, stepping swiftly backwards to distance herself from the man.
"You have departed from the mortal realm," Han Min replied. "Say farewell to Zeya. You shall not be seeing him again."
Sein refused to heed those words. Instead, she surveyed her surroundings, scanning for an escape.
The space was vast, with walls that made no sense. They were formed from shimmering light or some sort of visible energy, solid and transparent at the same time. She could not tell whether they would resist her hand or let her pass straight through into whatever lay beyond.
The stillness in the air was almost oppressive. There was no wind, no rustle, no distant sound of life, only a low, faint hum that seemed to exist everywhere at once, like the echo of a temple bell long after it had been struck.
And all she could smell was him: Han Min's unmistakable scent, the musky patchouli, laced with the faint sweetness of stale sandalwood incense.
Above her, the ceiling was dome-shaped, through which the perpetual twilight could be seen, an endless shade of muted mauve, pinks, and navy.
Was it even sky? She had no idea.
What struck her most was the lack of anything except for a magnificent throne that commanded attention.
Han Min casually strode towards it as he stroked his chin, deep in contemplation.
"What is it about you that has captured him?" Han Min pondered aloud. "All these years you have managed to ensnare him."
He gracefully lowered himself into the throne seat, covered in intricate geometric patterns that shifted the longer Sein stared at them, lines bending where they shouldn't, shapes folding into one another like impossible constellations.
A stream of pale light poured from above, illuminating Han Min in a god-like glow, showing off his chiselled cheekbones and jaw line.
But beneath the polished poise and easy confidence he exuded, Sein sensed something unsettling, a hint of insecurity, shadowed by festering resentment.
With cautious steps, she moved forward towards Han Min.
There must be a way out, she thought.
Discreetly extending a hand, she probed the space around her, searching for any sign of the gateway they had entered through.
The presence of energy and the shimmering light, all of it, was now gone.
With nothing in sight that remotely resembled a door, she conceded that there was no way to escape. She was undeniably stuck in the Spirit Realm.
How would she return to Zeya?
I vowed I would never leave his side, she told herself. I must keep my promise.
She stood with her arms wrapped tightly around her waist, self-soothing as she tried to steady her mind and weigh her options.
"What exactly do you want?" Sein asked.
Han Min gazed at her for a moment, his eyes shifting up and down as if appraising her.
"I have everything I could possibly wish for," he replied, running his fingers through his immaculate hair. "The real question, in fact, is what shall I do with you now that I have you all to myself?"
A sly smile spread across his face.
"You are rather beautiful to behold. I do appreciate the appeal now. What man, after all, can resist a charming lady?"
He leaned forward. "And from this moment onward, you are indisputably mine."
Sein knew, somewhere at the back of her mind, that it would be wiser to adopt a friendly tone and try to talk her way out of this. That would be the rational approach. But his smug expression only fuelled her anger.
"I am not yours and never shall be," Sein said, lifting her chin, meeting his gaze with a hard, unflinching glare. "Come near me and I will fight you until my last breath."
Han Min quirked an eyebrow, and his lips curved.
"How delightful," he said. "I shall look forward to it."
Suddenly Han Min rose from his seat and marched towards her. His footsteps echoed like ominous drumbeats.
Panicked, Sein took a step back. All she could hear was her heart pounding in her ears.
Escape was impossible; there was nowhere to run. She would have to fight, but she had no weapon, only her cloth power.
Holding her breath, she steadied her nerves and waited for the precise moment. She must strike just before Han Min reached her.
Summoning the same binding force she had used on Htun, she seized hold of Han Min's clothing with all her will. After all, he was wearing fabric.
Han Min halted mid-stride, just short of an arm's length away. He was unable to move at all, except for his head and hands.
"Well, well… it seems I rather underestimated you."
Han Min let out a hideous cackle.
"So, there is steel in your veins. How fascinating," he said. "Tell me, do you honestly think you can stop me with that silly power of yours?"
With an arched eyebrow, his hand flicked once. Sein felt an invisible whip lash her face, stinging her cheeks. Beads of blood formed along the cut.
She tightened her hold, his garments constricting him like a python. As the burning sensation subsided on her cheek, Sein inflicted pain on that loathsome man, a place where it would certainly be felt.
He let out a yelp.
Han Min regained his composure, and his eyes hardened.
"Do you truly believe the Crown Prince loves you?" he asked in a measured tone.
Sein did not answer.
"You are not the only woman he has conquered. Surely you realise that. You are merely one among many, and you will not be the last."
He paused, allowing his words to settle.
"All those sweet words he whispered. Do you really think they were sincere? Did he sweep you off your feet?"
Sein's lips pressed together, a small frown appearing.
"Zeya has a remarkable knack for making those around him feel appreciated, valued… and even cherished," Han Min said, softening his tone. "He is merely toying with you, testing the boundaries of your devotion. Once he has had his way with you, he will simply cast you aside, as he has done before, like yesterday's plaything, and move onto his next conquest. You are but a page in his book, one he will turn as soon as he tires of reading it."
Han Min's lips curved up with satisfaction, seeing doubt taking root.
"Have you really fooled yourself into thinking you are anything more than a passing fancy to him?" he resumed. "Naturally, the forbidden is always more desirable. That, I suppose, is what propelled him. Zeya was likely drawn not to you, but to the idea of what he could not have. Still, such fascination is fleeting. And possession has a way of changing perception. Do not mistake desire for love."
Words were his psychological weapon of choice as he repeatedly stabbed at Sein's insecurities and worthiness.
"I grant you, you have the fortune of being blessed by beauty, but Zeya has his pick of equally fair and enchanting ladies, any of whom would fall at his feet without hesitation. As for you, well, you're not even flesh and bone anymore; you are an insignificant spirit. Be honest, are you truly worthy to be the Crown Prince's bride?"
Uncertainty began to lap at the shores of her self-worth. All those years of feeling she was not worthy of the Crown Prince's affection were resurfacing.
"Surely you wish for Zeya to be happy. Allow him to marry someone of equal standing, someone he may proudly present as his wife… someone, at the very least, who is mortal."
Something in his appeal to Zeya's happiness struck a chord.
"If you truly love him, then release him. Do not bind him to a future that would bring him anything but the slow ruin that would come from remaining with you."
Could he be right? Sein wondered. But it's too late. We're already married.
Han Min seized that moment of distraction like a hawk swooping down on its target.
As Sein's cloth power momentarily weakened its hold, Han Min broke free from his confinement. He stepped forward and seized her by the throat with his bare hand. Holding her off the ground, he dangled her like a doll.
"You are weak and pathetic." Han Min spat out the words.
His power was immense. Sein felt the energy pulsing through his fingers as his grip tightened. Pain exploded around her neck as she gasped for air.
"Just as I suspected, you do not deserve Zeya," Han Min said. "Power of cloth manipulation, am I right? How absurd. You are hardly fit to be a spirit."
Doubts continued to gnaw at Sein, but she was a warrior's daughter. She had an unshakable tenacity to fight back until the end.
Swinging her legs frantically, she tried to kick him, while her nails clawed at the hand that held her. But as she struggled, less and less air reached her lungs.
Soon she was unable to breathe. That dreadful feeling of struggling for the next breath and the unbearable burning around her neck sent her back to the moment of her death.
But she was a spirit now. Could she die a second time? Perhaps it was possible in the Spirit Realm.
Her vision started to blur, and she knew this was likely the end.
As consciousness began to slip from her, a final thought surfaced: Forgive me, Zeya. I will not be able to keep my promise to stay by your side.